Minister Pulls Out of Inauguration After Outcry

By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

January 10, 2013

WASHINGTON — The minister selected by President Obama to deliver the benediction at his inaugural withdrew Thursday from the program, putting a quick end to a developing controversy over a sermon he gave in the 1990s in which he called on Christians to fight the “aggressive agenda” of the gay-rights movement.

The minister, the Rev. Louie Giglio, said in a statement that he would “continue to pray regularly for the president” — including on Inauguration Day — but did not want to become a distraction.

“Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago,” the statement said, “it is likely that my participation and the prayer I would offer will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration.”

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Officials at Mr. Obama’s Presidential Inaugural Committee, which operates separately from the White House, announced the decision — less than 24 hours after news of Mr. Giglio’s sermon surfaced — and took responsibility for failing to properly vet him.

“We were not aware of Pastor Giglio’s past comments at the time of his selection, and they don’t reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this inaugural,” said Addie Whisenant, the spokeswoman for the committee. “Pastor Giglio was asked to deliver the benediction in large part for his leadership in combating human trafficking around the world. As we now work to select someone to deliver the benediction, we will ensure their beliefs reflect this administration’s vision of inclusion and acceptance for all Americans.”

Mr. Giglio is founder of the Passion Conferences, an Atlanta organization that brings college students together in prayer and worship. The sermon, titled “In Search of a Standard — Christian Response to Homosexuality,” can be heard on a Christian training Web site. In it, he said homosexuality is “sin in the eyes of God, and it is sin in the word of God.”

He also advocated “the healing power of Jesus” as “the only way out of a homosexual lifestyle” — a comment some gay-rights advocates interpreted as an endorsement of reparative therapy, or so-called gay-to-straight conversion, as a supposed cure for homosexuality.

The minister’s quick withdrawal highlights how sensitive the White House is to concerns over gay rights. It comes at a time when Mr. Obama’s candidate for defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, a former Nebraska senator, is under fire for comments he made about gay people in the 1990s; some activists said the administration could ill afford two controversies over gay rights at the same time.

“It was the right decision,” said Chad Griffin, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington-based advocacy group. “Participants in the inaugural festivities should unite rather than divide. Choosing an affirming and fair-minded voice as his replacement would be in keeping with the tone the president wants to set for his inaugural.”

The Giglio controversy echoes a controversy over Mr. Obama’s 2009 inaugural, when he angered many gay-rights advocates by selecting the Rev. Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life” and an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, to deliver the benediction.

“I think this is actually a bigger deal than Rick Warren because this gentleman is in many ways much worse,” said Richard Socarides, who advised President Bill Clinton on issues concerning gay people. “Rick Warren was not a good choice but he is kind of in the mainstream of religious thinking, but this guy is really an outlier.”

Mr. Obama, who opposed same-sex marriage until last year, is featuring gay and lesbian people in several ways at his inaugural. He has selected Richard Blanco, a poet of Cuban descent who is openly gay, to be the 2013 inaugural poet. And for the second time, he has invited the Gay and Lesbian Band Association to march in the parade, becoming the first president to do so.